Stabilization of Metastable Indomethacin α in Cellulose Nanocrystal Aerogel Scaffolds

Indomethacin (IM) is a small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that exhibits polymorphism with the γ-form being the most thermodynamically stable form of the drug. The α-form is metastable, but it exhibits higher solubility, making it a more attractive form for drug delivery. As with other metastable polymorphs, α-IM undergoes interconversion to the stable form when subjected to certain stimuli, such as solvent, heat, pH, or exposure to seed crystals of the stable form. In this study, IM was crystallized into cellulose nanocrystal aerogel scaffolds as a mixture of the two polymorphic forms, α-IM and γ-IM. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy were used to quantitatively determine the amount of each form. Our investigation found that the metastable α-IM could be stabilized within the aerogel without phase transformation, even in the presence of external stimuli, including heat and γ-IM seed crystals. Because interconversion is often a concern during production of metastable forms of APIs, this approach has important implications in being able to produce and stabilize metastable drug forms. While IM was used as a model drug in this study, this approach could be expanded to additional drugs and provide access to other metastable API forms.

Molecular Origins of Polymorphism in Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter displays complex crystallization behavior and six crystal polymorphic forms. Although the crystal structure of cocoa butter has been studied extensively, the molecular interactions between cocoa butter triacylglycerols in relation to polymorphic transformations from metastable forms (forms III and IV) to stable crystal forms (forms V and VI) remain largely unknown. In this review, the triclinic polymorphism and melting profiles of the major triacylglycerols in cocoa butter—POP, POS, and SOS—are reviewed, and their binary and ternary phase behaviors in metastable (pseudoβ′) and stable (β2) crystal forms are discussed. We also attempt to clarify how the transformation of cocoa butter from form IV to V, as a critical step in the tempering of chocolate, is controlled by POS interactions with both POP and SOS. Moreover, we show how the crystal forms V and VI of cocoa butter are templated by crystal forms β3 and β1 of POS, respectively. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 12 is March 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Infrared spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding topologies in the smallest ice cube

The water octamer with its cubic structure consisting of six four-membered rings presents an excellent cluster system for unraveling the cooperative interactions driven by subtle changes in the hydrogen-bonding topology. Despite prediction of many distinct structures, it has not been possible to extract the structural information encoded in their vibrational spectra because this requires size-selectivity of the neutral clusters with sufficient resolution to identify the contributions of the different isomeric forms. Here we report the size-specific infrared spectra of the isolated cold, neutral water octamer using a scheme based on threshold photoionization using a tunable vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser. A plethora of sharp vibrational bands features are observed. Theoretical analysis of these patterns reveals the coexistence of five cubic isomers, including two with chirality. The relative energies of these structures are found to reflect topology-dependent, delocalized multi-center hydrogen-bonding interactions. These results demonstrate that even with a common structural motif, the degree of cooperativity among the hydrogen-bonding network creates a hierarchy of distinct species. The implications of these results on possible metastable forms of ice are speculated.

Infrared spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding topologies in the water octamer: The smallest ice cube

The water octamer, with its cubic structure consisting of six four-membered rings, presents an excellent system in which to unravel the cooperative interactions driven by subtle changes in the hydrogen-bonding topology. Although many distinct structures are calculated to exist, it has not been possible to extract the structural information encoded in their vibrational spectra because this requires size-selectivity of the neutral clusters with sufficient resolution to identify the contributions of the different isomeric forms. Here we report the size-specific infrared spectra of the isolated cold, neutral water octamer using a scheme based on threshold photoionization using a tunable vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser. A plethora of sharp vibrational bands features are observed for the first time. Theoretical analysis of these patterns reveals the coexistence of five cubic isomers, including two with chirality. The relative energies of these structures are found to reflect topology-dependent, delocalized multi-center hydrogen-bonding interactions. These results demonstrate that even with a common structural motif, the degree of cooperativity among the hydrogen-bonding network creates a hierarchy of distinct species. The implications of these results on possible metastable forms of ice are considered.

The Phase Relationship Between the Pyrazinamide Polymorphs α and γ

<div> <div> <div> <p>Pyrazinamide is an active pharmaceutical compound for the treatment of tuberculosis. It possesses at least four crystalline polymorphs. Polymorphism may cause solubility problems as the case of ritonavir has clearly demonstrated; however, polymorphs also provide opportunities to improve pharmaceutical formulations, in particular if the stable form is not very soluble. The four polymorphs of pyrazinamide constitute a rich system to investigate the usefulness of metastable forms and their stabilization. However, despite the existence of a number of papers on the polymorphism of pyrazinamide, well-defined equilibrium conditions between the polymorphs appear to be lacking. This paper focusses on the phase behavior of the so-called a and g polymorphs of pyrazinamide, its liquid phase and vapor phase. The melting points and enthalpies of both solid phases have been determined. The equilibrium temperature between a and g was experimentally found at 392(1) K. Moreover, vapor pressures and solubilities of both phases have been determined, clearly indicating that form a is the more stable form at room temperature. High-pressure thermal analysis and the topological pressure-temperature phase diagram demonstrate that the g form is stabilized by pressure and becomes stable at room temperature under a pressure of 260 MPa. </p> </div> </div> </div>

The Phase Relationship Between the Pyrazinamide Polymorphs α and γ

<div> <div> <div> <p>Pyrazinamide is an active pharmaceutical compound for the treatment of tuberculosis. It possesses at least four crystalline polymorphs. Polymorphism may cause solubility problems as the case of ritonavir has clearly demonstrated; however, polymorphs also provide opportunities to improve pharmaceutical formulations, in particular if the stable form is not very soluble. The four polymorphs of pyrazinamide constitute a rich system to investigate the usefulness of metastable forms and their stabilization. However, despite the existence of a number of papers on the polymorphism of pyrazinamide, well-defined equilibrium conditions between the polymorphs appear to be lacking. This paper focusses on the phase behavior of the so-called a and g polymorphs of pyrazinamide, its liquid phase and vapor phase. The melting points and enthalpies of both solid phases have been determined. The equilibrium temperature between a and g was experimentally found at 392(1) K. Moreover, vapor pressures and solubilities of both phases have been determined, clearly indicating that form a is the more stable form at room temperature. High-pressure thermal analysis and the topological pressure-temperature phase diagram demonstrate that the g form is stabilized by pressure and becomes stable at room temperature under a pressure of 260 MPa. </p> </div> </div> </div>

Role of halogen substituents in a series of polymorphic 2,5-diamino-3,6-dicyanopyrazine derivatives with highly flexible groups

The crystal structures of the ortho-X-benzyl derivatives, where X=F, Cl, Br, I, and Me, of 2,5-bis(N,N-dibenzylamino)-3,6-dicyanopyrazine dyes (C34H24N6X4) were analysed to evaluate the effect of a systematic series of structures on the occurrence of polymorphism. Detailed crystal structure analysis indicated that the thermally stable forms of the polymorphic derivatives (Cl and Br derivatives) were close-packed, whereas those of the non-polymorphic derivatives (F and I derivatives) were stabilised by an intermolecular interaction involving the ortho-substituents. In the thermally metastable forms of the polymorphic derivative, halogen-halogen and halogen-nitrogen interactions contributed to the stabilisation of these crystals in the same way as the thermally stable form of the non-polymorphic derivatives. This indicated that the ease of polymorph occurrence would require an appropriate balance between the crystal energy of the close-packed structure and that of the crystal structure generated mainly by the electrostatic interactions involving the halogens in these halogenated pyrazine derivatives. In addition, the similar tendency of the occurrence of polymorphs in these halogenated pyrazine derivatives was found in 19 sets of halogenated compounds having known crystal structures of F, Cl, Br and I derivatives including at least one polymorphic derivative in the crystal structure database.

NQR, DSC, and X-Ray Structure Studies of Pyridinium Tetrabromozincate and Pyridinium Tetrabromocadmate (C5H5NH)2MBr4 · nH2O (M = Zn and Cd; n = 0, 1); Phase Transitions and Weak Hydrogen Bond Interactions

Crystals of pyridinium tetrabromozincate and pyridinium tetrabromocadmate were obtained as monohydrates and anhydrous compounds. The crystal structure of metastable (C5H5NH)2- CdBr4・H2O was determined at 300(2) K; triclinic space group P1̄ with a = 7.875(2), b = 8.151(1), and c = 16.356(2) Å, α = 79.260(10), β = 86.030(10), and γ = 61.440(10)°, Z = 2. All compounds except for stable (C5H5NH)2CdBr4・H2O gave four 81Br NQR lines at temperatures between 77 and around 325 K. The stable (C5H5NH)2CdBr4・H2O undergoes a first-order phase transition at TC = 116 K. Four 81Br NQR lines below TC merged into two with equal intensities above TC, indicating a 180° flip motion of water molecules in the r. t. phase. The 81Br NQR lines of the two anhydrous compounds faded out around 325 K probably due to the reorientational motion of ZnBr42− or CdBr42− ions. The respective two 81Br NQR lines of the hydrates exhibited anomalous positive temperature dependence. This is considered to be induced by a weakening in the interionic C-H・ ・ ・Br hydrogen bonds with increasing temperature. The DSC measurements of the anhydrous compounds have revealed phase transitions above r. t. The thermal behavior of (C5H5NH)2CdBr4 is complicated by the formation of metastable forms.